Chikushudo was the Realm of Animals. This realm was very close to Ningen-do, and could be sensed by all animals within the Mortal Realm. All souls reincarnated as animals must pass through Chikushudo. Chikushudo was the native realm for all animal spirits as well as Inari, Fortune of Rice, and hengeyokai, shape-shifters.

Gaki-do

Gaki-do was the “Realm of the Hungry Dead”. This was a realm of punishment for those who lived their life selfishly or dishonorably. The gaki that lived here lived only to feed until their hunger was satisfied and their kharmic debt had been paid. Only then could they rise to a better realm. Since Gaki-do was close to Jigoku, gaki often became fearsome, tainted minions of Fu Leng.

Jigoku

Jigoku, also known as the Realm of Evil, was one of the Spirit Realms. It was a realm of pure and darkest evil and the source of the oni and the Shadowlands. Though all of the Spirit Realms were occasionally referred to as “Jigoku”, the proper use of the name was only for the one dark Realm. The realm itself was a maelstrom of pain and suffering, with the yokai spirits being constantly hounded and tortured by oni. The gates of Jigoku were guarded by Yakamo no Oni, who kept Kitsu Okura’s soul eternally bound to the gates as a reminder of Yakamo’s failure. 2 Jigoku was one of the most jealous realms, exerting its control in the form of the Shadowlands Taint. It was primarily concerned with the corruption of Ningen-do, since it was connected to all other realms. In relation to other realms:
• Close to Sakkaku, Gaki-do, Ningen-do and Yomi.
• Distant to Chikushudo and Toshigoku.
• Barred to Meido and Tengoku.

Maigo no Musha

Maigo no Musha was also refereed to as the Realm of Thwarted Destiny, and it was created when the War of Spirits caused an imbalance in the natural order of the universe. Thousands of ancestors who should not have been on the mortal realm killed many souls who had not yet reached their true destiny. This realm was created to house all of the unfortunate souls who were denied true fate. In this realm, they wandered as they tried to resolve their kharma in the hopes of being reincarneted to Ningen-do or ascending to a higher realm. Spirits from all realms came to this place to aid (or tempt) the lost souls to become more like them.

Meido

Meido was the Realm of Waiting. This was the domain of Ryoshun, the tenth Kami, Emma-o, the Fortune of Death, and as well as the Lords of Death, the gaijin gods of the Ujik-hai. It was in this Spirit Realm that the deceased await judgement and their eventual fates. Meido was a bleak, grey realm— colorless, nearly featureless, and was marked by only the rare landmark— the most notable of which was the palace now shared by Emma-O and the Lords of Death. All human souls fated for eventual reincarnation appeared in this realm after death, and the Realm quickly claimed the dead. Those under the spiritual influence of Meido quickly lost all semblance of initiative and personal drive, awaiting only their turn to be judged. The few living visitors to Meido were not affected by the mind-numbing Control of this realm, as Meido had no claim and no interest in those who were not dead. Realms close to Meido included Maigo no Musha, Ningen-do, Yume-do, Toshigoku, and Yomi; realms distant from Meido included Chikushudo, Gaki-do, Sakkaku, and Tengoku. The realm of Jigoku was completely closed off to Meido. Additionally, Meido possessed the power to utterly strip nearly any amount of spiritual Control from creatures entering it through death. Only those who were completely Lost to Jigoku’s influence escaped the Realm of Waiting, though “escape” in this case was a relative term at best as these souls were generally sent hurtling into Jigoku itself for an eternity of torment.

Ningen-do

Ningen-do was the Realm of Mortals. It was the realm in which Rokugan lay, along with all of the other powers on the same world. Nonetheless, it was a Spirit Realm, and its inhabitants and visitors would react the same to this Realm as any of the others.
Sakkaku was the Realm of Mischief. It was home to many creatures which were often mislabeled as evil. Its inhabitants were not truly evil, merely mischievous. These spirits did enjoy traveling to Ningen-do and causing trouble for that Realm’s inhabitants, but their motivation was neither malice nor wrath, merely trickery.

Tengoku

Tengoku, also known as the Celestial Heavens, was the Spirit Realm that was home to virtually all of the Fortunes, as well as the Elemental Dragons and the Sun and Moon. All of the Emperors of Rokugan resided there after ascending upon their deaths. Mortals were not normally allowed to see Tengoku, though the living Emperors were supposedly able to perceive the Realm at will. Rokugani mythology held that before the Fall of the Kami, Tengoku was much closer to Ningen-do, and that the inhabitants of the two realms could easily pass between them. The story told that after the Fall, the Dragons were enthralled with humanity, offering power to those they chose, and even bringing some to live in Tengoku. Amaterasu and Onnotangu were troubled by the Dragons’ meddling, believing that their interference would be detrimental to the newly-created Empire, and so they lifted the Celestial Heavens away from Rokugan, forcing the Dragons to decide whether to tear humanity away from Ningen-do or to abandon them to mortality. The Dragons chose to leave humanity, along with parts of themselves, that they might continue contact. These essences of the Dragons were each given to a single individual, who became the Dragon’s agent in Ningen-do. Thus, the Oracles were created.

Toshigoku

Toshigoku was the Realm of Slaughter. Souls who died in senseless battle or thinking of revenge were sent here after death. It was a Realm of constant neverending battle, wherein spirits slayed one another only to rise again and repeat the process endlessly. Toshigoku did not border closely with Ningen-do, but intersections between the two realms occasionally happened.

Yomi

Yomi is the Realm of Blessed Ancestors. Those mortals who have fulfilled their destinies and their kharma are allowed to enter this realm upon their deaths. Yomi borders very closely to Ningen-do, and the ancestors regularly cross over to provide guidance and support to their descendants as shiryo.

Yume-do

Yume-do was the Realm of Dreams. This realm appeared to be a fractured realm, composed of smaller realms created by the minds of the dreamers within. It was inhabited by harmless baku, dream spirits.